When NATO bought 4 (maybe they have more now) AWACS planes from the U.S. in the 80s, it was a good idea, while individual nations may have had that capability, in a time of total war, they just might "keep" the "best stuff" to protect their own land, rather than sending it to help the "alliance."

So they all chipped in to buy them, "just in case."

BUT here's the rub...International Law says all military aircraft MUST be registered to a nation, and be marked with that country's markings. SO which country get's to put their flag and AF markings on them?

BIG fight, because in time of war, especially if the alliance gets "fractured..." just MAYBE that country would keep them!

SO, what did NATO do? Pure brilliance....

Created the "Iceland Air Force." From scratch, new markings, new everything.

Now since Iceland has NO armed forces of any kind, never has, no real resources to add to the alliance at ALL except it just happens to be located RIGHT on the most important North Atlantic Sea lanes and right where all Soviet subs must pass if they want a short route to the Atlantic, AND had a pretty decent airfield built by us...there was a problem with crews and logistics....

SO, EVERY Nato nation has sent crews, both flight and ground, to operate and train with them for periods at a time, just for this contingency...

I can't WAIT to see pictures of them, and exactly WHAT crews are operating them. I have never seen IceAF markings before, have you?

I'd bet they are mixed...probably pilots and operators from EVERY country in NATO.

First time they've been "officially" deployed, too, I think....
I'm so PROUD to be an AMERICAN...

Funny when I first read about it in "Dirty Little Secrets" years ago, I NEVER thought they'd be used over America....

The other great Iceland story, is that before and during the beginning of WWII, they were actually a part of Denmark.

But, unofficially, the Brits had built the first military airfield right before the war, and were "protecting" it.

When the Brits got spread really thin in 1940, we took over "protecting" it, and were flying Asub patrols from there, and attacking Uboats during 1940, when the US Navy was in all reality already in the war in the Atlantic.

When the Nazis invaded Denmark, Iceland sent a long telegram to the King of Denmark, who was under house arrest by the Nazis, that was their "Declaration of Independence."

The King cabled back simply "Congratulations, and good luck!"

Always liked that story....

I'm so PROUD to be an AMERICAN...

Xracer
Moderator
Posts: 1045
(10/11/01 6:24:12 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: "Iceland Air Force" now protecting the U.S.
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Yeah......during WWII we had bases at Reykavik and Keflavik...the Brits had a base there too.

The CO of the Naval Air Station in Reykavik was Capt. Dan Gallery (future author, Rear Admiral, and the man who captured the U-505). Right across the bay was a British Air Station. The guys at the NAS had a huge (about 8 ft.) beach ball they used to play with on the beach. One day they forgot to deflate it and bring it back in....later in the day, the wind took it and blew it across the bay to the British beach. The Brit CO called up Gallery and told him a huge mine had just washed up on shore!

Of course, Gallery knew what it was. Anyway he told the Brit CO that he had a bomb disposal squad and would be right over. They loaded up a jeep with all the complex looking electronic equipment they could find and drove over. They moved the Brits about a 1/4 mile away, unloaded the equipment and looked very worried and busy for about a 1/2 hour. They reloaded the the equipment.....motioned the Brits back even farther......pulled the plug, deflated the ball, and got the hell out of there!

If you want a good read, go to the library and get anything written by Dan Gallery.....a very funny man.

Edited by: Xracer at: 10/11/01 7:30:01 pm

polishshooter
Senior Chief Moderator Staff
Posts: 1893
(10/14/01 8:20:54 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: "Iceland Air Force" now protecting the U.S.
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Well, they're here, up and running! FIVE of them, the Iceland AWACS...
I'm so PROUD to be an AMERICAN...

Thanks Richard! I wonder if they are STILL flying over the US, I didn't hear anything about them after they deployed over here after 9/11...or was it just for a short time after the war started...?

Yeah, I also remember reading somewhere that during the 70s or 80s some anti-military womans-rights liberal made some comment during the "feminist" movement days about how Iceland had NO woman in it's military, like Iceland must be some last bastion of male chauvinism in the free world...it would have been nice if the reporter could have come back with, "Yeah, they don't have any MEN either..."

Actually, if I remember correctly, the Icelanders do maintain a very small "gunboat" kind of navy to control coastal waters and protect their fishing industry. We've maintained a military presence in Iceland for many decades, of course. During the Cold War, Iceland was considered very important strategically because of its place in the GIUK line for interdicting Soviet commerce-raiding submarines in the event of war.